Aba Central State Constituency candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in next Saturday’s election, Mr Matthew Okorie has promised to work in harmony with whoever becomes the next governor of the State, to ensure that his constituents benefit fully from governance if elected.
Okorie said the era of playing party politics of isolation, will not be on his agenda, rather he will cooperate with and lure the executive arm of government towards rehabilitating moribund industries, educational and health facilities, as well as ensure that drainages in the commercial city centre, were in good condition, for the better health of the people.
Speaking to New Telegraph on his campaign so far, and hope of defeating the incumbent, Chief Abraham Oba, of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to win the forthcoming election, he said he is confident that his exposure to the electorates and assistance in times of need, will give him success.
Okorie recalled that candidates in the last presidential and national assembly elections, such as Senator Orji Uzor-Kalu, Chief Enyinnaya Abaribe, and Chief Benjamin Kalu, of the House of Representatives, were returned reelected, due to their activities that brought development and good representations to their constituencies.
“People like Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, and Benjamin Kalu, despite being members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), won their elections over the likes of Chief MAO Ohuabunwa, and Nnenna Ukejeh, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), because Uzor-Kalu’s presence is felt all over Abia North. You cannot say the same about Ohuabunwa, who, when he was there, did not impact the people.
“Also Benjamin Kalu, worked for the people, providing them with democracy dividends, as against Nnenna Ukejeh, who did nothing for her people in her earlier representation.”
“The story is the same for Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who is widely seen as a protector of Ndigbo, in Nigeria. So, you will see that the governors and other elected officials that lost were not successful due to their poor performances in office.”
He said the immediate problems facing Aba, was how to create an enabling environment for the people, especially the teeming youths, to attain gainful employment, stressing that rehabilitating the establishments abandoned in parts of the city like Aba Textile Mills, International Glass Industry, Enyimba Hotels, among others and convincing authorities of multinational companies that left to return, will make the society move forward again.
He promised that if elected as a member of the State Assembly, he will alongside helping to enact good laws and resolutions, work with the executive arm of government, irrespective of party differences, to ensure that his constituents benefit fully from governance.
“I’ve heard some of my colleagues saying they will abolish revenue payment if elected. This is absurd. Revenues collected from taxes and levies, are used to provide amenities.”
“So, what we will do, if elected, will be to work with the other arms of government to make laws that will improve demand and collection of government revenue in a conducive manner, rather than using touts to chase payers and confiscating properties of innocent citizens.”
The APGA candidate, who claimed to have been impacting positively into the lives of the people even while outside the government, mentioned some of the projects he funded to include, provision of security gates, solar powered street lights, numbering up to 300 in roads, streets and the federal government housing estates.
“We have helped our people by helping them in areas of need like providing security gates in Akpu Road, Azuka Avenue, Federal Housing Estates, and People’s Road, and Solar powered street lights in Aguwa Street, Federal Housing Estates, People’s Road, former Psychiatric Hospital along Market Road, as well as in College of Health Sciences and Management Technology, among many others.”
He pleased with residents of Aba Central constituency to come out en masse to vote for him and his party’s gubernatorial candidate, Prof Gregory Ibeh, during the elections on Saturday, March 18, assuring that if elected, he will fulfil his promises to them.
